Safety cableless multiple elevators



March 28, 1933. M. E. BREED SAFETY CABLELESS MULTIPLE ELEVATORS 2 Sheets-Shet 1 Filed July 15, 1930 March 28, 1933- M. E. BREED 2 Sheets Sheet 2 ed July 16, 1950 n i U pmwu n a Z I111 El Ihl a [p Z4 Z0 Patented Mar. 28, 1933 UNITED STA res i MAURICE E. BREED, or snLouIsnissoURI SAFETY cABIQELEss MULTIPLE ELEVA'IQRS r Application filed July 10,

This invention relates to safety cableless multiple elevators; and an object of the inventionis to provide an elevator system comprising a plurality of elevators mounted in an endless shaft consisting of a portion through which the elevators ascend and a portion through which the elevators descend with connections at the upper and lower ends of said ascendingand descending portions through which the elevators pass from the ascending portion to the descending portion and from the descending portion to the ascending portion of said shaft, in combination with mechanism mounted on the elevators and cooperating with fixed elements in said shaft for propelling the elevators.

Another object of the invention is to provide animproved elevator operating mechanism comprising a series of racks secured in rigid relationship within an elevator shaft and having engagement with gearing supporting the elevator car whereby rotation of said'gearing will essentially operate the elevator' car through the shaft, and mechanism supported by the car for operating said gearlng. V v Another object of the invention is to provide an improvedelevator mechanism com- 7 prising an endless elevator shaft having connected portions through which the elevator ascends and descends, respectively, and mech-. anism supported by the elevatorv for propelling the elevator through said shaft in an upright position in the ascending portionand in an inverted position through the descendingportion.

Another object of the invention is to provide an elevator construction designed and adapted for use in buildings of the greatest height comprising an endless shaft through which a plurality of elevators operate in spaced relationship, so that a single endless shaft serves as apassage forany desired number of elevators as required the height of the building, and improved mechanism for propelling the elevators along and through said shaft without the use of cables and similar hoisting devices. g 1

Other objects and advantages of the invention willbe apparent from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying draW1ngs,'1n which Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic. view illustrating the upper end of the endless'elevatorshaft and the manner in which a plurality of elevators operate in spaced relationship through said shaft." I e 1 i Fig. 2 is an enlarged view showing the gearing and operating mechanism for propelling an elevator,

Fig. 3 is a sectionaliview of the elevator I shaft showing an inverted plan view of an elevator thereln. I

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view approximately on the line 4- of Fig. 2.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings, the ascendin g and descending portions of the elevator shaft and'the connecting passage between'the up-' portion of said shaft in which the elevators descend inverted. This is sufiicient to enable anyone skilled in the art to understand that the elevators pass through a similar-arcuate connection from the lower end of the descending portion to thelower end :of the ascending portion of the elevator shaft and thereby; right themselves,- so that the elevators pass upwardly in theascending portion of the elevator shaft right side up'as required for service in the transportation of passengers and/or freight. In Fig. lof the drawings, elevators A, B and C are shown in spaced relationship, the elevator A ascending through the ascending portion of the elevator shaft, the elevator B.making the turn towardthe descending portionof the elevator shaft, and the elevator C being inverted and descendinginverted in the descending portionoftheshaft, Y I p n A pair of spaced parallehendlessracks 1 are attached to, the inner wall of the endless elevator shaft, these racks extending continuously through the ascending and descending portionsof said shaft and through the curved connections at the upper and lower fiends of the ascending and descending portions of'the shaft.

A pair of spacedguide bars 2 and 3' are attached to each side wall of the shaft, and a pair of spaced parallel endless racks at are attached to the wall of the shaft opposite from the-racks 1.1

On each elevator A, 13,0, etc. a motor =5 is secured. This motor 5 is energized and operated by electrical energy threugh a proper circuit designed and arranged for such purpose, including brushes 6 and 7 operating against the metallic bars 2 and 3, respectively.

'tated at uniform or different speeds in order to propel the elevator through the straight V ascending and descending portions of the endless elevator shaft and through the arouate connections at the upper and lower ends thereof. A gear l7 is attached to the outer end of each shaft 20. The gears 17 mesh with gears. 18 attached to shafts .19 supported in connection with the elevator car. The shafts .19 have attached thereto gears 9 which are in constant mesh with the racks 1 and 4, respectively. Thus, the gears 9 that are attached toone of the shafts 19 mesh with the two racks 1 and the gears 9 that are attached to i the other shaft 19 mesh with the racks 4.

A pair of rollers 21 are attached to the ends of ashaft 22 and operate between the pairs of guide bars 2 and3, respectively.

One of these shafts 22 is supported at the upper end of each elevator car while the driving gearing described is supported at the lower end of each car, as will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings. Thus,' the rollers 21 at the upper end of each elevator car guide and direct the upper end of the car holding the car upright in the ascending portion of the elevator shaft and turning the car in the upper end of the shaft to inverted position in the descending portion 'of the. shaft through which the car is guided and operated downwardly in inverted posiend of the shaft, the car passesfrom the descending to the ascending portion. and is thereby righted for service.

,A switch control device 10 is conventionally shown in Fig. 2 of the drawingsand the same maybe operated in order. to open and by Letters Patent is: tion. It will be understood that at the lower It will be understood that the invention contemplates the use of devices to hold and keep the cars in properly spaced relationship,

so that no car can approach too close to anotheig but such devices are not illustrated in the drawings of the present invention.

The operator or conductor of each of these elevator cars remains in the car during the rise and descent. During the rise of the car, the operator or conductor stands upon the floor of the car; Wh-en the car reaches the top and passes through the curved connectionfrom the ascending portion to the de scending portion of the elevator shaft, the operator steps onto and standsupon the inside of the lower side wall of the-car; and when the car-passes into the descending portion of the elevator shaft in invertedposi- 'tion, the operator steps onto the inside of the top of the carand stands thereon until the car reaches the curved connection from thedescending portion to the ascending portion ofthe elevator shaft. The operator or conductor then steps onto the inside of the lower side wall of the car and stands thereon 7 untiltho carenters the ascending portion of the elevator shaft, whereupon the operator steps onto the floor of the car for another round trip. 1 V a o i a I K It is now. clear that my invention obtains all of its purposes and objects sufficiently and satisfactorily. It dispenses with the useof cables and other hoisting apparatus of that nature and permits the'use of a number of elevator cars in a'si'ngle shaft. The demand for some satisfactory arrangement of this kind inbuildings of great height has become pressing. The cost of construction of such,

buildin s is enormous. The buildin s have required the service of many elevators operating in separate shafts, thus using a great amount of space in the. buildings. Myinvention dispenses with the use of a large amount of space for the elevators, sothat such space can be divided into rooms and used to produce income. Accordingly, the advantage of and demand for such invention are apparent. h

I am aware that the construction and arrangement disclosed herein maybe widely variedwithin the scope ofequivalent limits without departure from the nature and principle of the-invention. Accordingly I do not restrict myself in any unessential resnects, but what I claim and desire to secure 1.' An elevator system comprising separate ascending and descending shaft portions having arcuate shaft connection vat their upper and lower ends respectively, an elevator car in said shaft, parallel endless racks mounted rigidlyin said shaftporti-ons and shaft connections, mechanism supported at one end of said car and engaging said racks for propelling said car upwardly through said ascending portion and downwardly in inverted position through said descending portion of said shaft, a guide device in said shaft, and means in connection with the opposite end of said car from said mechanism engaging said guide device, said elevator car being propelled through said arcuate shaft connections from said ascending shaft portion to said descending shaft portion and from the latter to the former and guided throughout by said guide device and guide means.

2. An elevator system comprising an endless shaft including ascending and descend ing portions, parallel endless racks mounted rigidly in said endless shaft, a guide device in said shaft, a number of elevators mounted in said shaft, mechanism supported at one end of each elevator and engaging said racks for propelling said elevators upwardly through said ascending portion of said shaft and downwardly through said descending portion of said shaft, either end of each elevator acting as a floor, and means supported at the opposite end of each elevator from said mechanism engaging said guide device and guiding said elevators throughout their movement through said endless shaft.

3. An elevator system comprising an endless oval shaft having ascending and descending portions continuously connected at their upper and lower ends, racks rigidly mounted within said shaft, an invertible elevator enclosed in said shaft, either end of said elevator acting as a floor, gearing supported at one end of said elevator and engaging said racks, mechanism supported at said one end of said elevator for rotating said gearing and thereby propelling said elevator upwardly in upright position and downwardly in inverted position through said shaft, a guide device rigid in said shaft, and means supported at the opposite end of said elevator from said gearing engaging said guide device and guiding said elevator throughout said shaft.

4. An elevator system comprising an endless oval elevator shaft having ascending and descending portions continuously connected at their upper and lower ends, endless racks mounted rigidly in said shaft on the inner and outer curved portions thereof, an invertible elevator enclosed in said shaft, either end of said elevator acting as a floor, differential gearing and operating mechanism therefor supported at one end of said elevator and cooperating with said racks to propel said elevator through said shaft, and means other than said gearing for guiding said elevator throughout said endless oval shaft. 7

5. An elevator system comprising an oval elevator shaft having vertical ascending and descending portions and curved upper and lower connecting portions, a series of oval racks mounted rigidly in said shaft on the in V ner and outer curved portions thereof, curved guide devices rigid in said curved upperand lower connecting portions of said shaft, an elevator enclosed in said shaft, either end of said elevator acting as a floor, guide means supported at one end of said elevator for engaging said guide devices and guiding said elevator through said curved connecting portions of said shaft, rotary shafts supported at one end of said elevator, gearing attached to said shafts and meshing with said racks, and mechanism for rotating said shafts uniformly and differentially as required to propel said elevator through said shaft.

6. An elevatorsystem comprising an oval elevator shaft, oppositely disposed series of I 7 oval racks mounted rigidly in said shaft, oval guide devices mounted rigidly on the inner and outer curved portions of said shaft,

an elevator in said shaft having each end adapted to be used as the floor, means supported near one end of said elevator engaging said guide devices and guiding and preventing disarrangement of said elevator in said shaft, and driving mechanism supported near the opposite end of said elevator and constantly engaging said racks for propelling said elevator through said racks.

7. An elevator system comprising oppositely disposed series of endless oval racks rigidly supported with respect to each other, an elevator between said series of racks, mechanism supported by one end of said elevator and constantly engaging said racks for propelling said elevator along said racks upwardly in upright position and downward ly in inverted position, either position being used to receive passengers or freight, and de-' vices at the opposite end of said elevator, from said mechanism properly guiding and preventing said elevator from becoming dis- 

